Department for Transport

Trains: North of England

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the statement by the Secretary of State for Transport on 27 March (HC Deb, col 652) that “we are replacing every single train in the north”, whether “we” refers to Her Majesty's Government; if not, who is responsible; and whether “the north” refers only to the northern franchise or to all the rail services in the north.

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the statement by the Secretary of State for Transport on 27 March (HC Deb, col 652), what is the timetable for the replacement of every single train in the north, and in particular for the classes 150, 153, 156 and 158 diesel multiple units and classes 319, 321, 322 and 333 electric multiple units; and which classes of trains will replace those trains.

baroness sugg: As a benefit secured through the franchising process, the rail industry will be replacing with new, or refurbishing as new, all Northern and TransPennine Express trains. The Northern franchise will introduce 281 new vehicles into the franchise from 2018 onwards to replace the 208 ‘Pacers’. The Northern fleet will see an overall increase by nearly one hundred and fifty vehicles. The TransPennine Express fleet will see 87 vehicles refurbished as new. The remaining fleet of 124 vehicles (as at the time the franchise started) will be replaced by 220 new build vehicles; this means the fleet will increase by nearly one hundred vehicles.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Territorial Waters

lord rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many incursions into British territorial waters there were from 1 March 2017 to 28 February 2018, broken down by country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Her Majesty's Government does not hold centrally details of incursions into the 12 nautical mile limit of UK Territorial Waters. The protection of UK Territorial waters is a shared responsibility between the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Navy; Border Force; Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC); and, in relation to fisheries, the Marine Management Organisation in England, Marine Scotland and Northern Irelands Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.Entry into UK Territorial Waters by foreign warships without prior diplomatic clearance, or when exercising Innocent Passage, is rare. The Ministry of Defence routinely monitors the activity of foreign military vessels, but does not release these figures for National security reasons.Border Force, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and the National Crime Agency regularly intercept suspected maritime smuggling operations. Border Force Statistics are publicly available as part of the Home Office Migration Transparency Data initiative. NCA do not collect data on the legal status of any vessels intercepted.

Bahrain: Technical Assistance

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 March (HL6169), which UK bodies are to implement the technical assistance programme in Bahrain for the 2017–18 financial year.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​As stated in my answer to question HL6169, the Government works with a number of implementation partners and beneficiaries to support Bahraini-led reform. These programmes aim to support progress on building effective and accountable institutions, strengthening the rule of law, and justice reform. All of our work is in line with international standards, and aims to share the UK's expertise and experience. Any training provided by, on or behalf of, the British Government fully complies with our domestic and international human rights obligations. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has provided updates on its programmes in its annual Human Rights reports, as well as through Freedom of Information Act requests. This information can be found on the gov.uk website.

Bahrain: Technical Assistance

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 March (HL6170), which Bahraini bodies are to benefit from the technical assistance programme in Bahrain for the 2017–18 financial year.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: As stated in my answer to question HL6169, the Government works with a number of implementation partners and beneficiaries to support Bahraini-led reform. These programmes aim to support progress on building effective and accountable institutions, strengthening the rule of law, and justice reform. All of our work is in line with international standards, and aims to share the UK's expertise and experience. Any training provided by, on or behalf of, the British Government fully complies with our domestic and international human rights obligations. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has provided updates on its programmes in its annual Human Rights reports, as well as through Freedom of Information Act requests. This information can be found on the gov.uk website.

Bahrain: Technical Assistance

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Integrated Activity Fund is funding or sponsoring any bodies dealing with security matters in Bahrain; and if so,which.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Integrated Activity Fund is not being used to fund or sponsor Bahraini bodies dealing with security matters. The Government works with various implementation partners to support Bahraini-led reform, including in the field of human rights. These programmes aim to support progress on building effective and accountable institutions, strengthening the rule of law, and justice reform. All of our work is in line with international standards, and aims to share UK expertise and experience. Any training provided by, or on behalf of, the British Government fully complies with our domestic and international human rights obligations.

Duaa Alwadaei

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the UN Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, published on 27 March 2017, finding thatthe charges brought against Duaa Alwadaei are related to Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei’s human rights activity in the UK.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have been closely monitoring the case of Duaa Alwadaei who has been tried in absentia after failing to attend court on charges of assault. Officials from the British Embassy in Bahrain were present at the recent hearing. We understand that Mrs Alwadaei has the right to appeal the sentence. We have raised the case at a senior level with the Bahraini authorities. The Government of Bahrain has also released public statements on the case, with assurances that the legal case are not related to Mr Al Wadaei's activities. We understand that Mr Al Wadaei has been able to continue with his work.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey have any plans to table a resolution in the UN Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks in Yemen.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Government keeps under consideration whether a new UN resolution would support progress towards a polictical settlement in Yemen. Any new UN Security Council resolution requires consensus amongst the international community and the cooperation of regional parties to have an effect on the ground. Passing a resolution without clear progress on the political track risks undermining the authority of the Council. At present we judge that the best opportunity for progress comes through the appointment of Martin Griffiths as the new UN Special Envoy for Yemen. We encourage the parties to return to negotiations and participate constructively in the UN-led political process.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are bringing diplomatic pressure to bear on the government of Saudi Arabia to bring about a ceasefire in Yemen.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We sponsored a UN Security Council Presidential Statement, agreed on 15 March, which called upon the parties to the conflict to agree the modalities for a cessation of hostilities. There is no military solution to the conflict and only a political solution can bring long-term stability to Yemen. During the visit of the Saudi Crown Prince to the UK in March, the UK and Saudi Arabia agreed on the importance of reaching a political solution to the crisis in Yemen and resolved to work closely together and with partners, including the newly appointed UN Special Envoy to Yemen to achieve this.

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia until there is an end to conflict in Yemen.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The British Government takes its arms export licensing responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all relevant factors at the time of the application. The key test for our continued arms exports to Saudi Arabia, in relation to International Humanitarian Law (IHL), is whether there is a clear risk that those items subject to the licence might be used in a serious violation of IHL. The situation is kept under careful and continual review.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will support an independent inquiry into human rights abuses by all parties in the conflict in Yemen.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is deeply concerned by the human rights situation in Yemen and takes allegations of violations of international human rights law very seriously. That is why we strongly supported the UN Human Rights Council Resolution on the human rights situation in Yemen in September 2017. It was a single, impactful, consensus resolution which mandates that a group of eminent international and regional experts conduct an independent investigation into the human rights situation in Yemen. We are working to ensure that the resolution is fully implemented.

Cabinet Office

Written Questions

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what structures are in place to ensure consistency of quality across departments in responding to Questions for Written Answer in line with constitutional norms, especially regarding the need to be "as open as possible" in answering(LJ (1996–97) 404).

lord young of cookham: It is for individual Departments to ensure that written Parliamentary Questions (PQs) are answered in line with the Ministerial Code.The Ministerial Code sets out that Ministers must give accurate and truthful information to Parliament. It also states that Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament. The Cabinet Office produces guidance to officials on drafting answers to PQs. This is available on GOV.UK;https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/drafting-answers-to-parliamentary-questions-guidance. A Minister may refuse to answer a question on the grounds of unreasonable or disproportionate cost of researching an answer.The Leader of the House of Lords’ Office oversees Departments’ performance and the quality of answers in response to Peers questions. Internal committees of both Houses conduct similar scrutiny of Departmental performance in responding to PQs.

Food: Expenditure

lord jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the proportion of the average family budget taken up by food in (1) 1988, (2) 1998, (3) 2008, and (4) 2018.

lord young of cookham: ​The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.Letter from John Pullinger CB, National Statistician, to Lord Jopling, dated 10 April 2018As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am replying to your Parliamentary Question asking what is the estimate of the proportion of the average family budget taken up by food in (1) 1988, (2) 1998, (3) 2008, and (4) 2018 (HL6808).Table 1 shows household expenditure on food and non-alcoholic drinks as a percentage of total household expenditure in the UK from 1987 to financial year ending 2017. The estimates are based on data from the Living Costs and Food Survey (LCF) and its predecessor the Family Expenditure Survey.In Table 1 below, ‘expenditure on food’ includes food brought home, food eaten away from the home in restaurants or cafés, and take-away food. Data is collected at a household level but is a reasonable indication of family expenditure. We have provided this data in ten-year intervals in line with the latest available data for financial year ending 2017. The period of data collection has changed over time, therefore the time series presented in the table is made up of financial and calendar year time points. Table 1: Household expenditure on food and non-alcoholic drink[1] as a proportion of total expenditure at 2016/17 Prices[2], 1987 to financial year ending 2017 Year19871996/972006[3]2016/17Percentage of total expenditure on Food and non-alcoholic drinks19%18%15%16%Source: Office for National Statistics, Living Costs and Food Survey  Yours sincerely,John Pullinger [1] Based on the Family Expenditure Survey classification (FES); food includes food brought home, food eaten away from the home in restaurants or cafes, as well as take-away food.[2] Figures have been deflated to 2016/17 prices using the RPI all items index.[3] From 2001/02 onwards, commodities and services are based on the Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP) codes broadly mapped to FES.

Department of Health and Social Care

Diabetes: Research

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to ensure that research into a cure for diabetes is undertaken in the UK.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including diabetes; it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.The NIHR supports research studies through its funding programmes, training and support for health researchers, and through providing world-class research facilities. The NIHR currently has £23,171,620 of funding for research into treatments for diabetes. Last year, NIHR infrastructure, through the Clinical Research Network, supported more than 100 new studies and recruited 37,857 patients to diabetes studies.

Diabetes: Health Education

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking toensure that there is adequate education for newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetics.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Diabetes Transformation Fund is supporting 137 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), in partnership with local providers, to expand the numbers of structured education places for patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. £10.2 million is being made available to support this in 2018/19. Evidence has also been highlighted to CCGs setting out how investment in structured education should both improve outcomes and result in re-investable savings over the medium term.The National Diabetes Audit, carried out by NHS Digital with funding from NHS England, supports CCGs and providers to understand local levels of referral to, and attendance at type 1 structured education and how these compare to other CCGs.

Diabetes

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plansthey have for the long-term approach todiabetes.

lord o'shaughnessy: The long-term approach to diabetes involves both seeking to reduce the increase in the prevalence of diabetes and, for those with diabetes, seeking to reduce the likelihood of developing complications and improving overall levels of treatment and care.Work to reduce the increase in future prevalence of type 2 diabetes is being delivered through the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme. By 2020, the programme will support up to 100,000 people at high risk of type 2 diabetes each year across England. Those referred will get tailored, personalised support over at least nine months to achieve a healthy weight, improve nutrition and increase levels of physical activity in order to reduce risks of developing type 2 diabetes.Work on reducing the likelihood of those with diabetes developing complications is through the diabetes treatment and care programme. This focuses on four key interventions:- Increasing attendance at structured education by both those newly diagnosed with diabetes and those who have had the condition for a longer period;- Increasing achievement of the diabetes treatment targets and reducing variation in achievement of these targets between clinical commissioning groups and between general practitioner practices;- Reducing the levels of amputations by increasing the availability of multidisciplinary footcare teams; and- Reducing lengths of inpatient stay for people with diabetes by increasing the availability of diabetes inpatient specialist nurses.

Department for International Development

Commonwealth: Poliomyelitis

baroness falkner of margravine: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to eradicate polio within Commonwealth countries, including Pakistan and Nigeria; and whether this is a priority for the discussions on the Sustainable Development Goals during the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

lord bates: Remarkable progress has been made towards polio eradication in the last 30 years, with over 99% reduction in the number of polio cases. The UK has played a leading role in this process and UK support to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) will mean up to 45 million children can be vaccinated against polio each year until 2020. Only two Commonwealth countries, Nigeria and Pakistan, have not yet been declared polio-free. In February the UK’s support enabled GPEI to conduct a campaign to vaccinate almost 39 million children in Pakistan, and in April large-scale immunisation campaigns are planned in Nigeria. Nigeria has not seen a case of polio since 2016 and there has only been one case in Pakistan this year, meaning that these two countries are on track to eradicating polio. Health and communicable diseases will be a key focus of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, a forum which acknowledges polio as a global health priority.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what aid they are supplying to Yemen to prevent mass starvation of the population.

lord bates: The Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa announced £170 million in response to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen on the 3 April for the financial year 2018/2019. This funding will meet immediate food needs for 2.5 million Yemenis, and is in addition to over £400 million in bilateral support since the conflict began in 2015. In the 2017/2018 financial year, the UK was the second-largest donor to the UN Humanitarian Appeal for Yemen and the third-largest humanitarian donor to Yemen overall, providing £205 million. This support aimed to provide enough food to meet immediate needs for 3.4 million people and fuel to mill enough wheat to feed a million people for over a year, as well as nutrition support for 1.7 million people, and clean water and sanitation for an expected 1.2 million people. Alongside our funding, the UK has taken a leading role in calling on all parties to the conflict to allow unhindered humanitarian and commercial access throughout Yemen. As set out in the UK-led Presidential Statement adopted by the Security Council on 15 March, it is essential that all parties facilitate the safe, rapid and unhindered access for supplies, particularly through Hodeidah and Saleef ports, to help prevent mass starvation.

Department for Education

Free School Meals

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will estimate the earnings of self-employed people for the purposes of calculating entitlement to free school meals.

lord agnew of oulton: We will assess the earnings of self-employed people based on their net earned income over a period of up to three months. Where families’ actual annualised net earned income is below the £7,400 annual threshold, their children will be eligible for free school meals. We have issued guidance to local authorities and schools to clarify this point.

Grangewood School

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they intend to give to the Newham local education authority to ensure that the education of pupils of Grangewood Independent School in Forest Gate is safeguarded following the school's closure.

lord agnew of oulton: If an independent school closes, the parents of children of compulsory school age who were attending the school are responsible for ensuring they receive a suitable full-time education. If they wish to apply for a state school place rather than attending a different independent school, they can make this request to the local authority (LA). The relevant LA has a duty to ensure that sufficient school places are available for children living in its area. Based on the latest data, there are around 2,400 unfilled primary places in good or outstanding schools in Newham.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Housing Associations

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment have they made of the loss of social rented homes as housing associations convert them to affordable rented homes.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Since 2010 we have delivered over 357,000 new affordable homes, including almost 128,000 at social rent.We are providing over £9 billion funding for the Affordable Homes Programme to March 2021. This includes an additional £2 billion, and the ability for local authorities and Housing Associations to bid for funding for social rent homes.

Dulwich Hamlet Football Club

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 28 March (HL Deb, col 830),what steps they have taken tofind a mediator to bring the various parties together to seek a solution to the present impasse concerning Dulwich Hamlet Football Club.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Southwark Council has asked its Director of Regeneration to start negotiations with a view to purchasing the site. During a debate on this issue in Parliament on 16 March the Sports Minister confirmed that should the negotiations fail, she will look to find and appoint an independent mediator who can facilitate the constructive talks needed between all parties and, in the process, help to secure a future for this well-supported community club for many years to come.

Letting Agents

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend toissue regulations for Client Money Protection schemes.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is committed to making membership of a client money protection scheme mandatory for property agents in the private rented sector. Our response to the recent consultation was published on 1 April 2018, which sets out our implementation approach. We will bring forward secondary legislation to implement our commitment after Easter recess. We intend to give sufficient notice and a transition period for agents to comply with the requirement to join a client money protection scheme.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: Import Duties

lord jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how much food prices would decrease if the current external import tariffs were removed.

lord gardiner of kimble: Currently the most important drivers of change in the cost of food are commodity prices, exchange rates and oil prices. These will continue to apply when we leave the EU. Economic models attempt to predict the impact of food prices of changes in our trading relationships with the EU and the rest of the world. Defra economists continue to monitor this work.

Plastics: Recycling

the earl of shrewsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to include in any deposit charge scheme for plastic bottles, plastic packaging boxes such as those used by fast food outlets.

lord gardiner of kimble: Defra does not intend to include plastic packaging boxes, such as those used by fast food outlets, in a deposit return scheme. Our intention is to introduce a deposit return scheme in England specifically for single use drinks containers, subject to consultation later this year.

Home Office

Freezing of Assets

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what their freeze and seize programme consists of; when it will be implemented; how; and which Government department will lead on delivery of that programme.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government is committed to ensuring that enforcement agencies have the necessary tools available to effectively seize and freeze the financial assets of criminals and terrorists. To this end the Government brought in the Criminal Finances Act 2017 (CFA) which amended the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA). The CFA provided for the freezing and forfeiture (including administrative forfeiture, without the need for a court order) of terrorist property held in bank accounts, and introduced unexplained wealth orders (UWOs) which allow the seizure/freezing and forfeiture of funds and property over £50,000 where it is believed the owner is involved in serious crime. The bulk of the secondary legislation implementing the CFA came into force on 31 January 2018. The Home Office are responsible for the legislative implementation of these powers, which are used by enforcement agencies.

Passports

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government where the new British passports will be produced; and what proportion will be produced in the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: The next contract for the design, manufacture, and personalisation of UK passports has yet to be awarded, and any detail relating to bids remains commercially sensitive. There is no reason to require UK passports to be manufactured in the United Kingdom. Up to 20 per cent of blank passport books are currently produced in Europe with no security or operational concerns. However all passports will continue to be personalised with the passport holder’s personal details such as name and photograph, in the United Kingdom. This will ensure that no personal data will leave the UK.

Passports

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they chose Gemalto to produce the new British passports; and what assessment they have made of profit warnings issuedby Gemalto.

baroness williams of trafford: The next contract for the design, manufacture, and personalisation of UK passports has yet to be awarded. However, the selection criteria for this competition was set to ensure that the new contract delivers a quality and secure product at the best value for money for the passport fee payer, with the quality of the passport being prioritised over cost for evaluating the bids. The contract will not be awarded without financial due diligence being fully completed.

Passports

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the decision to award the contract for the new British passports to Gemalto, what estimate they have made of (1) the number of UK jobs that will be lost, (2) the number of UK jobs that will be created, (3) the cost of redundancy payments, and (4) the net impact on tax revenue.

baroness williams of trafford: The next contract for the design, manufacture, and personalisation of UK passports has yet to be awarded. However, this contract will continue to demand British jobs by requiring the supplier to personalise the documents in the UK. It is for all potential suppliers to determine how to best deploy their resources to meet their business need. The incumbent supplier has publicly stated that it will bid for other work to help protect jobs after the current passport contract ends.

Passports

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that choosing a foreign company to produce the new British passports will not undermine British security and essential services, as outlined in their 2017 manifesto.

baroness williams of trafford: There is no reason to require UK passports to be manufactured in the United Kingdom, or by a UK company. A proportion of blank passport books are currently produced in Europe with no security or operational concerns. However all passports will continue to be personalised with the passport holder’s personal details such as name and photograph, in the United Kingdom. This will ensure that no personal data will leave the UK. The winning bidder will comply with the UK Security Policy Framework and international security standards to mitigate and prevent internal and external threats to the manufacture and onward transportation of blank books. These include a range of physical and protective security requirements set by the Home Office.

Passports

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to assess the impact on Gateshead of the decision to choose Gemalto to produce the new British passports; and if so, how they intend to ensure that the community in Gateshead is not "cast aside" (in the terms outlined in their 2017 Manifesto).

baroness williams of trafford: The next contract for the design, manufacture, and personalisation of UK passports has yet to be awarded. It is for all potential suppliers to determine how to best deploy their resources to meet their business need. The incumbent supplier has publicly stated that it will bid for other work to help protect jobs after the current passport contract ends.

Passports

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government at which public points of departure from the UK all departing persons have their passports checked at immigration control; and what percentage of passports are checked at each point of departure.

baroness williams of trafford: Exit checks are conducted on all scheduled commercial international air, sea and rail routes. An exit check has two elements: the capture of an individual’s basic identity data, either from Advance Passenger Information (API) they supply before their journey or by scanning their passport at the point of departure; verification on departure – i.e. a brief visual check - that the passport is not obviously forged and matches the individual presenting it. Exit Checks data improves national security by helping the police and security services track the movements of known or suspected criminals and terrorists, supporting the wider work across government and law enforcement agencies.

Passports

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether immigration officials at entry or departure points from the UK have the real-time ability to check whether a UK passport holder (1) holds other passports, (2) is serving a custodial sentence or is on bail, and (3) has been registered as deceased.

baroness williams of trafford: Exit checks are not conducted by Border Force officers. Instead, carriers and port operators collect passenger data and submit it to the Home Office electronically. We re-introduced the collection of exit checks data in April 2015 to further complement the work on border security, as well as support the Home Office’s wider work to stamp down on illegal immigration. BF carries out 100% checks at passport control. All passengers arriving at passport control have their details checked against immigration and security databases. Furthermore, processing of advance passenger information helps protect the UK against terrorist attacks, serious cross-border crime and abuses of the immigration system by assessing passengers and crew in advance of their arrival in or departure from the UK. The data collected is already providing the police and security services with information to help track the movements of known criminals and terrorists.

Passports

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many UK passport holders also hold one or more additional passports; and whether they will indicate the number of such passports for each of the 50 non-UK countries whose passports are most often currently so held.

baroness williams of trafford: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by Her Majesty’s Passport Office on 29 October 2015, UIN 13210 and 11 July 2016, UIN 41952.No statistical information is available showing whether British citizens hold another citizenship.

Passports

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in relation to the new passport contract, what discussions the Home Office held with GCHQ on ensuring that Gemalto chips are protected from the risk of being reprogrammed with a Trojan virus.

baroness williams of trafford: Encryption technology used in the UK passport is owned by Her Majesty’s Government, and is not the responsibility of the passport manufacturer.

Passports

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions were held with the team of British export envoys concerning the new passport contract in respect of the likely impact on their role in promoting UK companies of issuing that contract to a French company in preference to a UK company.

baroness williams of trafford: There have been no discussions with British export envoys concerning the next passport contract. This procurement has been a fair and open competition under UK law, in line with both EU and World Trade Organisation rules.

Horse Racing: Migrant Workers

lord risby: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the care and riding of thoroughbred racehorses will count as a skilled role and be recognised in future immigration arrangements, following the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

baroness williams of trafford: The precise way in which the Government will control migration to the UK following exit from the EU is yet to be determined.In July 2017, the Government commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to advise on the economic and social impacts of the UK’s exit from the European Union and also on how the UK’s immigration system should be aligned with a modern industrial strategy. The MAC’s call for evidence sought information on EU migrants’ skills, amongst other things, and this will be considered in their final report due in September 2018.We will build a comprehensive picture of the needs and interests of all parts of the UK, taking account of the evidence from the MAC, and look to develop a system which works for all.

Refugees: Housing

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many refugee families they have helped to find accommodation in each of the past three years.

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to ensure that accommodation for refugee families is of an acceptable standard.

baroness williams of trafford: Local authorities play a vital role in sourcing suitable accommodation for refugees that is affordable, sustainable, meets the complex needs of the families and meets local authority standards.In the last three years, the UK has welcomed over 10,000 refugees through its resettlement schemes and we are grateful to local authorities for sourcing properties suitable for these vulnerable families, enabling them to begin to rebuild their lives.

Asylum: LGBT People

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the maximum length of timethat an asylum seeker seeking refugee status on grounds of their sexual orientation can be held in an immigration detention centre.

baroness williams of trafford: There is no general maximum length of time for which someone can be detained for immigration purposes. This applies irrespective of the basis of the individual’s detention.Published Home Office policy, available via the link below, is clear, however, that detention is only ever used for the shortest period necessary, and there must be a realistic prospect of removal within a reasonable timescale. During this time, decisions to maintain detention are reviewed regularly and whenever there is new evidence of removability or vulnerability. Whilst in detention, any health and welfare needs of a detained person are met through the provision of appropriate services.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/offender-management

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Government

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Duncan of Springbank on 29 March (HL6578), whether in response to the representations made to them, they, or somebody acting on their behalf,has given a written or verbal undertaking to Sinn Fein not to include a statute of limitations in the forthcoming consultation into legacy issues in Northern Ireland.

lord duncan of springbank: Her Majesty’s Government has discussed the forthcoming legacy consultation with interested stakeholders, including the political parties in Northern Ireland, during the recent political talks process to restore the Executive. Sadly, this Talks process failed to deliver an agreement to restore the Executive and in the absence of agreement the proposals on a legacy consultation discussed during the Talks have not yet been taken forward.

Belfast Agreement

lord kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any areas of North–South cooperation were contained in the Belfast Agreement; how many additional areas of such cooperation are suggested in the EU–UK draft withdrawal agreement; and whether the parties involved in the Belfast Agreement will now be asked to consider any changes proposed by the EU.

lord duncan of springbank: The Belfast Agreement, under Strand Two, outlined the areas for North-South cooperation on matters of mutual interest within the competence of the Administrations, Northern Ireland and Ireland. The UK Government remains committed to the Belfast Agreement, as we have stated many times. Upholding the Agreement has consistently been, and will remain, at the heart of the UK’s approach as we negotiate our withdrawal from the EU. The UK and EU have mapped out areas of cooperation that function on a cross-border basis, in line with the principles of the Belfast Agreement. We have identified over 140 areas of cross-border cooperation, demonstrating a wide range of cooperation across different aspects of the economy, public services, and the environment.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Press: Regulation

earl attlee: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Special Advisers from No. 10 Downing Street or the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport have been briefing that Lords amendments 147 and 148 to the Data Protection Bill provide for state regulation of the press.

lord keen of elie: As the Secretary of State said at the second reading of the Data Protection Bill on the 5th March, The Government is clear that these amendments would undermine high-quality journalism and our free press and risks causing serious damage to local newspapers, who play such a vital role in our democracy.

Proof of Identity: Internet

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to authenticate individuals' digital identities, including as part of the gov.uk verify scheme; and what plans they have to promote affordable and suitable financial and credit products and services.

lord ashton of hyde: GOV.UK Verify has agreements with seven certified companies that the government has approved to verify users’ identity. The certified companies have to meet government and international standards for security and data protection. For a GOV.UK Verify user to have their identity verified, the certified companies look at a range of evidence and checks to establish that users are who they say they are. There are five identity proofing and verification elements involved, and the companies have to achieve thresholds in each element before they can verify someone’s identity. We are committed to delivering a well-functioning and sustainable consumer credit market which is able to meet the needs of all consumers. In March, the government hosted the first meeting of the Financial Inclusion Policy Forum, a new key initiative bringing together government, regulators, industry and the third sector to coordinate action and provide leadership in tackling these challenges. The Forum’s mission is to ensure that individuals, regardless of their background or income, have access to useful and affordable financial products and services, including affordable credit. The government also supports credit unions, which provide an affordable alternative to high-cost credit. In the Autumn Budget 2017, the government announced its intention to help the sector expand by increasing the number of potential members of credit unions from two million to three million. In addition, from this year a greater proportion of funds recovered from illegal money lenders will be allocated to incentivise vulnerable people to join, save, and borrow with a credit union instead of turning to loan sharks. In addition, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has responsibility for setting the direction for the spend of dormant assets funding. In March 2018, the Department, with the Big Lottery Fund, published a statement of intent for £55 million in funding for financial inclusion. This statement sets out that the money will be put towards increasing the use of fair, affordable and appropriate financial products and services. This includes credit products and services, along with savings and insurance products and services. Following an ongoing engagement exercise, Ministers are expected to issue formal policy directions to the Big Lottery Fund about the detailed focus of a programme and what it should achieve in summer 2018

Telecommunications: EU Law

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government whethertheyintend to remain fully aligned throughout the transition period with the EU Electronic Communications Code in the event that implementation of that Code is delayed until after the European Union (Withdrawal) Act comes into force.

lord ashton of hyde: The European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) is still under negotiation. We anticipate that it is likely to be adopted by the EU this year. It is not yet clear how long the transposition period will be, but we anticipate that the deadline for transposition will be after EU Exit but during the expected post-Exit Implementation Period. As the terms of the Implementation Period have been agreed, common rules will remain in place until the end of the period.

Telecommunications: Regulation

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish an equivalent, domestic, mechanism to Article 7of the EU's Electronic Communications Framework Directive (2002/21/EC) to provide oversight of Ofcom's decisions.

lord ashton of hyde: The Government will ensure that the legislative framework for electronic communications in place after exit day will continue to provide an appropriate level of regulatory control that balances the needs of industry and consumers. We will announce our plans regarding the Article 7 process in due course.

Telecommunications: Regulation

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to update the regulation of the electronic communications sector in a manner which will avoid imposing additional complexity on British companies trading across Europe after Brexit; and whether those plans are dependent on whether the EU Electronic Communications Code is implemented during the transition period after the UK leaves the EU.

lord ashton of hyde: We will ensure that regulation of the electronic communications sector remains fit for purpose and avoids any unnecessary complexity for business and consumers. Those objectives are not dependent on the implementation of the European Electronic Communications Code, although we will of course adhere to the applicable legal framework at all times.

Business: Telecommunications

lord fox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average time taken for businesses with more than one telephone line to switch provider; and how this compares to the time taken for domestic customers to switch providers.

lord ashton of hyde: In 2015, the UK’s independent communications regulator (Ofcom), extended the use of a Gaining Provider Led (GPL) switching process for consumers (including small businesses with up to ten employees) switching their landline and/or broadband provider across the Openreach network, where the majority of these switches take place. These rules specify a minimum switching period of 10 working days, before a customer’s order can be activated. Ofcom does not hold comparable data on the time it takes business and domestic customers to switch.

Telecommunications: Competition

lord fox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of problems switching fixed telephony provider on the competitiveness of the fixed voice market in the UK.

lord ashton of hyde: Ofcom, the independent communications regulator, have recently reviewed the voice only (fixed telephony) market. They found that there are some competitiveness issues in this market which have arisen due to a large majority of consumers moving to voice and broadband packages, and as a result major communications providers withdrawing from the voice only market,limiting consumer choice. Ofcom found that the consumers remaining in the voice only market are largely unengaged, with average contracts lasting over 20 years and is therefore working with the largest provider of voice only services (BT), to explore how communications with these consumers could improve their engagement. Switching issues within the voice only business market mainly relate to the process of porting numbers, which is the ability to retain telephone numbers as you move to a new communications provider. The Office of the Telecommunications Adjudicator is independent from Ofcom and industry, and is leading discussions on how to improve porting arrangements. Further details about its role can be viewed at: http://www.offta.org.uk.

Social Media: Harassment

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment have they made of the Network Enforcement Act passed by the German parliament as an effective tool to deal with abuse on social media.

lord ashton of hyde: We are monitoring the effectiveness of the German Network Enforcement Act, which only came into force in January 2018.

Football: Clubs

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment have they made of the adequacy of protections for community football clubs.

lord ashton of hyde: Football clubs face many challenges in maintaining their facilities, supporting participation and fulfilling many other important community roles. Through the Football Foundation, jointly funded by the DCMS, The Football Association and the Premier League over £595 million in grants have been provided for community clubs to help create new changing rooms, playing surfaces and stadia improvements since its inception in 2000. Football clubs and their supporters can also take advantage of the powers contained within the Localism Act 2011 to list their stadiums as Assets of Community Value. Nearly 40 stadiums are currently listed. Clubs remain an important part of local communities and DCMS will continue to work with the football authorities and influential fan groups like Supporters Direct to help provide support to community clubs. As the Minister for Sport set out most recently during an adjournment debate on the 16 March, she will be asking the Football Association to carry out a review into what further protection might be offered to football clubs at all levels of the game.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: National Security

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what role the Department of Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport plays in responding to national security threats; and if that Department plays no formal role, which department responds to digital threats and other security threats relating to culture, the media, or sport.

lord ashton of hyde: The Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) is the Lead Government Department for the Broadcast, Internet and Telecommunications sectors as parts of the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure. As such, DCMS is responsible for the government’s security and resilience policy within those sectors. DCMS plays a key role in delivering the Government’s National Cyber Security Strategy to support a prosperous digital nation. DCMS also undertakes work to prevent internet harms, such as disinformation. Other security threats would be managed as appropriate by individual digital, culture and media organisations in conjunction with law enforcement and other agencies.

Women and Equalities

Gender Recognition

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government when theyintend to conclude the consultation on reform of the Gender Recognition Act 2004.

baroness williams of trafford: In July 2017, we announced our intention to consult on reforming the Gender Recognition Act 2004. We are currently considering the content of the consultation, and we will be publishing the consultation in due course. The consultation will run for at least 12 weeks.We have been using the time since announcing our intention to consult, to analyse the responses from transgender people who responded to our National LGBT survey. In this survey, we asked about the views and experiences of transgender people who have applied for a Gender Recognition Certificate under the GRA. We will publish the results of this survey shortly.Ahead of the consultation launch, we have also begun engaging with a wide range of people and organisations. These organisations include transgender, LGBT, women’s rights and faith groups.The Government recognises that there are a wide range of views on how we might reform the Act. It has been valuable to hear these different voices prior to the consultation and we will continue to engage with stakeholders before, during, and after the consultation.We are also working across Whitehall to ensure we fully understand what impact there could be from any reform to the Gender Recognition Act.